The stability of METL
by Golden Fires
Summary: A group of Beacon drop-outs, bodyguards, and a small store owner's son, This is a view not off RWBY, but of Vale, Vytal and how bad the Faunas-human relations really are. But as with the foundations of the towers and homes alike, maybe a bit of METL is needed form some stability in this world at it's vital stage. A bit of stability for the world and for each other in the end of it.
1. Chapter 1

**Read AN at the end for info**

**I DO NOT OWN RWBY…That is all.**

***Echrome is pronounced Eh-Crow-meh**

The Vale Zen Gardens were a beautiful place in the spring. The Sakuras would bloom and rain the pink petals commonly associated with life and love. But spring had since past and the air ran still through the death branches of the Sakuras. A singular figure stood at edge of the fountain that ran in the center of the Sakura ring. He was wearing only a white t-shirt and black pants. His hazel eyes held seemingly no emotion. His brown hair lay completely flat with a streak if orange on his right side back by this right ear. A scar lay vertically under is left eye: soft, but noticeable. In his hand he held an orange Triangle, a carved piece of Eosphorite. Another figure dressed in a dull yellow collars shirt and Khaki pants walked up behind the first figure by the fountain. His black hair was cut almost militarily short and had almost evil red eyes; the color of his eyes conflicted with his calm demeanor though. His pace was quick enough to show urgency, but slow enough to not disturb the individual he was approaching.

The collared individual spoke first, "Echrome…It's happened." Echrome Eosphorite turned around and spoke slowly and deliberately, "How long ago, Titanite?"

"Seconds just got called by Junior."

"Leave it Terrance, Son of a gets what's coming to him." Terrance was a back-up bodyguard for Junior at his club, but today was his off day. He did this job well and solely the bodyguard job, no illegal activity for him. Echrome was a hunter, not the Grimm hunters, though he tried very hard to get into Beacon, he didn't pass the teamwork portion, as his fighting style involves a lot of separation from his teammates. He also failed the class portion of the exam by one question; this saddened him to no end. No, his style of hunting involved the animals that were still wild to the region that could be used as food and for fur. He and his brother run their father's Hunting Store, " The Spirit of the Hunt." Near the edge of town near Junior's club.

"Why do I help you again?" Echrome asked.

"You exactly why, you've had a crush on her since you met her and she then got dragged into a fight with Melanie over the protection schedule." Terrace explained.

Terrace had known Melanie and Miltiades for a while, the three of them dropped out of their enrollment of Beacon for Various reasons before first year initiation. Terrace to support and be with his sick family who had now past away some six months ago, leaving the family business of a restaurant to his son once he became of age 21, of which he was 19.

The Malachite Twins had a different reason: Divorce and Finance. Their parents got into a nasty divorce and spent all the money that would have gone to their huntress education on the court fees and everything else. They now lived at Terrace's home, as the Bodyguard business does not pay well to teenage dropouts.

"Hey, that's cold, but we need to go, try calling Miltiades, see if she is okay." Terrace nodded at Echrome's request and ran with him to the car.

Terrace nodded at the back seat and Echrome got in to find him gear still there from the last incident at the club. His chest piece, which consisted of a silver sleeveless plate with a space for the triangle jewel from earlier and his L96A1 Sniper Rifle: Classic and Efficient.

"No answer." Terrace said as he pulled the grey SUV in front of Junior's club to see the club smoking, the window's broken, Junior broken on the ground, and two teenage girls, one in a yellow shirt as well as brown nearly everything else and one girl in a red robe with her hood up, chatting in front of the club. As Terrace emerged, Black Katana drawn into it's revolver state with his pale yellow armor with the symbol of a sun with a diagonal line slashed through it, the girls looked in there direction.

"Who the hell are you?" Terrace asked as Echrome lined up a shot on the yellow-haired girl from behind the SUV.

"Yang, who are they?" Ruby asked as Echrome loaded his .308 rounds into the chamber of his rifle. The .308 rounds he used were not the dust-coated wannabe rounds used by most guns in this world, these were professional hunting rounds, used to finish conflicts and hunts in a single shot, accuracy permitting.

"No idea sis. You more of Junior's henchman like the other idiots in there."

"Was no one protection duty today?" Echrome asked through the radio.

"Today was Miltia and Melanie's day…" Terrace said.

Ruby turned and faced the sniper and saw the Eosphorite shard in his armor and spoke, "Gemstone? Is that you?" She said tilting her head, which took her hood off.

"Sakura…" Echrome whispered, his voice soothing and filled with pleasant memories of older times. Then the sounds of shattered glass rustling distracted Echrome as Miltiades dragged her bloodied form out of the club. Her red dressed was torn in several places. Her claws were okay but the hands that carried them were red and bloody, she had a severe cut above her right eye, from which a small glass shard still protruded. "Mil!" Echrome cried in a mixture f fear and concern. He dropped the rifle and ran over to Miltia, and lightly grabbed her shoulder before setting down Miltia at a wall, "Crystalline Sphere." Echrome said as he dropped the Eosphorus shard to he ground and a sphere of the same material appeared over him and Miltia.

"Miltia, hey, Mil stay with me here." Echrome, who spoke with great worry and concern, which to Miltiades sounded like fear, tore some rags from his shirt and primitively bandaged Miltiades' wounds as he spoke again, "Mil, Which color did this to you?" He said as he held back a tear from his eye, she was injured for just trying to live and one of those girls had the gull to try to take it away from them…

Miltiades placed her hands on his wrists and brought them back and forth like he was punching, then it clicked, Goldie had wristband of a gold color, they must be for a boxing fight style. As Echrome lowered the sphere, Melanie walked out of the club on her own two feet but was bruised from her fight earlier. Junior also woke up and said while pointing at Yang, "Get her, she destroyed my club." I stepped in front of Miltiades, "and hurt two of my friends." Echrome said in high degrees of anger as he turned to Ruby, "Walk away Sakura, you do not have to be involved in this conflict. For it is between Blondie and us." He said as he refashioned the Eosphorite to his chest plate.

Ruby looked shocked and insulted, "You want me to walk away as you beat up my sister! No!" Ruby Deployed Crescent Rose as Echrome ran and slid behind the SUV for his rifle. Yang readied Ember Celica and Terrace started collecting…something into his open hand as the motioned for the gas to twirl in his hand.

Melanie was the first to strike at Yang's side as Terrace rushed Ruby with several quick slices and jabs to force her on the defensive. Terrace sliced at Ruby's midsection and sliced part of her robe on the lower edge as she used he semblance to gain distance. Ruby switched the initiative and used crescent Rose to cause Terrace to avoid the large sweeping arcs that was the Reaper Scythe's destructive path. Terrace shoved the hand that had all the gas to the ground, shrouding the nearby area in mist. Ruby started panicking and she was not used to only relying on sound for her target's location and set about to swinging randomly, making her and even easier target for the slices that were coming from Terrace, weakening her aura greatly.

Meanwhile with Yang though, she was having an easier time with Melanie, who was dispatched a second time and landed unconscious next to Miltiades. Echrome then took his shot as Terrace laid down his mist. However, the mist also distracted Yang and the shot bounced and rang off of Ember Celica, leaving a small dent and a scratch. Echrome left the rifle and spoke "Crystalize." Armor appeared along the contours of Echrome's body but leaving the joints open for movement but also attack. Terrace had nicknamed the armor he used Crystelia. Echrome was strange; he could replicate the crystal that was on his chest armor plate, a crystal hard Eosphorite material. That was his semblance. He carried several of these crystals with him and had even more at his home.

Echrome called a pillar of Eosphorite from the ground and slammed into Yang's stomach, knocking her away as another came from behind; she eventually slammed her fist into the ground shattering the Crystals away. By that time, Yang was again red-eyed and on the aggression, but pillars of crystal continued to impede her progress and sometimes even striking her as she pressed on, but when she wound up striking him, a crystal sphere would again protect him as he continued to put range between himself and Yang for his Sniper rifle.

Yang had had enough and started raining fire charge shells at Echrome until the unthinkable happened: one of yang's shots went wide and struck a car driving by on the road. Echrome dropped his rifle and all his defenses in order to use to crystals to make sure the car was safe fro the wild shot. Unfortunately, Yang had stopped caring at this point and as soon as the car stopped safely, Yang was on top of Echrome and boxing the living snot out of his head and shoulders until he was sprawled out on the pavement, unable to move much. Terrance noticed this and began to finish his fight with Ruby, until Ruby used the sniper feature on her scythe and hit Terrance square in the head causing his to go flying.

Yang started up her motorbike and picked up ruby. Echrome reached for his sniper rifle and took aim at the retreating figures. Echrome reciting the three rules off game hunting posted in his store, "Be Respectful, Be efficient, have a plan for every game." The shot rang from his sniper rifle; the gas tubing was hit by the bullet, not so that the bike would explode, but enough so that the bike would in repair for a while and cost a lot of money.

After the shot, Echrome passed out on the hood of the SUV. Terrance stood back up after getting owned by the sniper round to the face. He picked his Katana that had landed on the pavement after he had been flung by Ruby. Terrance went over to Echrome and saw that he was out cold, but stable. Terrance decided to check on Junior after who claimed he was fine while holding his head. Terrance pulled headache pills out of his car, which junior took immediately for the pain, and walked towards the Malachite sisters. Melanie had nearly recovered by this point while the covered, while Miltiades has slipped into unconsciousness as Melanie sat at her side to prevent a worsened condition.

"Terrance…" Melanie started, "Why does this have to happen to us…why?" Now Terrance hated calling her by her middle name but it got her attention, "Lazuri."

"_Stop_ calling me that!" She screeched, but Terrance continued, "Life will always be tough for us, but we made it, didn't we?" Terrance got up and held out his hand, "We have been a group for nearly a year now, you, me and Miltiades. Now Echrome has entered the fold."

Melanie waved her hand as a signal for him to continue. Terrance picked up Miltiades a placed her with Echrome in the back of the car that he drove. "I was going to ask Echrome today before Junior called me…I want to try the tournament circuit…all of us." Terrance pulled out a pamphlet for the Vale City Circuit, more commonly known as the Wild Card circuit. The tournament was the week prior to the Vale Festival and the Vytal Fighting Tournament. The tournament was mostly for people who wanted a good match on the side and maybe for the grand prize, though no one usually had the guts to use it. The grand prize was 50,000 lien and the usually always-vacant seat in the Vytal tournament: the wild card slot.

"But we don't have…you wanted to get Echrome Eosphorite to join us?" She said his full name as she spoke with confusion.

"Yes, but we would use your middle name for the team name." Terrance teased.

"_Why!?" _Melanie all but shrieked.

"Because of a small amount of research I did yielded an interesting fact: Melanie Malachite, Miltiades Malachite, Terrance Titanite, and Echrome Eosphorite…We are named for metals found beneath our feet and the fountain for stability…in theory at least." Terrance joked as he realized he hasn't really spoken to Melanie in months at least.

"So, team METL then?" Melanie deduced…

"Only if he wants too, I will not drag him with us…though I wish he will, cause it would mean the world to us if we won."

Terrance and Melanie sat in silence as Junior ranted on his phone about the attack and other stuff. No doubt they will probably be fired soon, but Terrance was okay with that…for he had his friends, no…his _family_, back with him. They would persevere with or without Junior and his stupid illegal nightclub…and he was okay with that as he double-checked that Echrome was in fact passed out.

Terrance snickered as Melanie took a drink of water, "So you know that Echrome has the hots for your younger sister right?" Melanie promptly spit the water out and looked at Terrance with the "Are you serious" look on her face.

Terrance yet out a laugh with neither Melanie nor himself had heard since they left Signal academy: a good honest, joyful laugh.

***My GOODNESS! The words would not even stop, I wrote this whole chapter while getting over my writer's block for ROMA Chapter 3…which will be out by Friday I swear! I can swear that because I had only about a couple hundred words to re-type because my idiot brother got a virus on my computer and corrupted the original…sorry bout that folks. **

****Probably a one-shot unless people want more, if no one interested, then I will leave as is, but wanted to give a sense of life to Melanie and her co-workers, which I dreamt up because there was no way that the Malachite sister can guard him ALL the time.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Golden Fires out.**


	2. Chapter 2

Stability of METL

The Streets of Vale

Echrome POV

The injuries I sustained during he fight with the Blonde and Sakura were minor really and I was up and about the next day, but Miltiades wasn't released until the day after due to the cuts being so deep from when she was kicked into the glass pillar. Miltia came out of the hospital with only a bandage over her right eye and on her left hand. Of course she was immediately crash tackled by Melanie and I, who had been worried that her injuries could have been worse.

Melanie…she ended up confronting me last night about the information she had apparently received from Terrance, the right bastard. However, it did fell good to get that out in the open…

**Flashback**

The moon rose solemnly on the Streets off Vale. Males, Females, Faunas, Human, and couples with children alike walked the halls of the outdoor shopping center. All of them completely unaware of the combat that happened the night before on just the other side of the club's roof on which I sat peacefully. I heard a child scream and play with her mother and a son playing catch with his father in the street further on. Lights framed and illuminated the scene and simply made the Street seem more gentle and at peace. The truest form of ignorance is Bliss.

I heard footsteps but chose to ignore them. Melanie eventually plopped down to my left. She said nothing as we simply sat and watched the sights of the streets excitement in the last moments of dying light of the moon as it peaked overhead. Melanie started the conversation, "Ignorance is Bliss, isn't it?"

"It's truest form, but I would rather never be in bliss, than be damned to ignorance."

"You say that like ignorance is like a damnation."  
"It is, it is the greatest form of lying and deception, yet the simplest to use. So simple in fact, we do not even have to say anything to deceive them, they simply never need to know."

"So, then why are you damning my sister if that is the cause?" I lowered my head; boy did I set myself up for that one.

"Simply, she doesn't need to know because it would never work. I have a crush on her sure, but she money was the only thing keeping you two from your dreams at Beacon, I straight out failed. I fought too much like my opponent was my prey and dominated them, but never once did I think to even look at my teammates. I was so happy I had defeated my rival during the test that I walked off the arena before my 'teammates' had finished their fights."

Even though I failed academics by one point, they would have let me in had I passed my fighting test, they never told us there was a team component. They sent it up to weed out those who did need others for help. They accepted the weak bastards on my team but kicked me out for "non fighting as a team-mate. What bloody team, you mean the group you told us to go with, how was I supposed to be a team, I didn't know them or there fight styles how was I supposed to help, do there fight for them?" Echrome sunk even further into his lap, "I'm now ranting aren't I?"

Melanie patted me on the back, "We all have our doubts, regrets, and our sins etched into our minds like a mental tattoo. But does that make us really the ones at fault, if we can only control ourselves, can we really control what they do? Why not extend them a chance, if not to simply see the result?" Melanie had me cornered in the argument again, I never could out word her once she put her mind to it, even if her voice was stereotypical snob girl pitched.

"The pitch does not match the words." I said flatly and swatted my arm in response.

We stayed silent for a while longer and then she asked," Why her?"

"Why her and not you? I can't say this without sounding like I am ratting on your character. She is so solemn quiet and can have her front of bravery protect her. But after the chips have fallen where they may, she is just a scared little girl underneath. Now don't get me wrong, I am in no way white-knighting here. I a simply saying that she gets visible more relieved when she is with one of us and although her single person combat needs some work, she was always a better combatant when she knows some one has her back." I raised my head and said confidently, "So, make of it what you will. I like your sister a lot and want to help her out in anyway I can, even if she never knows I like her. Because, I would rather she not know than if she knows and dos like me back. And I can live with that." I said as I stood up, "We should probably go check on her and she if maybe she will get out tomorrow."

**NORMAL** **POV**

Melanie simply smiled as Echrome walked away. After he had descended the staircase to the roof. Melanie pulled a small recorder out of her boot and simply pressed a button, "So, make of it what you will. I like your sister a lot and want to help her out in anyway I can, even if she never knows I like her. Because, I would rather she not know than if she knows and dos like me back. And I can live with that." I said as I stood up, "We should probably go check on her and she if maybe she will get out tomorrow."

Melanie placed the recorder back in her boot and walked away.

**FLASHBACK END **

**ECHROME POV**

…But the good bays never lasted that long. Terrance and the sisters were kept on the job, but another bodyguard was added, but our group almost never saw him anyway. Terrance wanted to meet with me today, but after I got back from my…errand I had to run. You see, Miltiades' birthday was tomorrow and I wanted to get a present for her. Even though she keeps telling us, she doesn't need them, I like getting her practical things. Terrance should have gotten her a gift already during the day I was in the hospital for my injuries. As I walked the streets, I heard Conversations stating that the Beacon students left the day after tomorrow. The thought of the school brought up memories of better times before life kicked in and I lost contact with most of the old friends that I had.

That thought reminded me of Sakura, the naïve little ball of joy and optimism that the Academy desperately needed. She used to call me gemstone because she thought the piece of Eosphorite I wore was a piece of Jewelry. Although the cut may say otherwise, I always told her that if she gave me a nickname, than I got to give her one. Since we were in the Zen Garden that was apart of signal at the time, I called her Sakura, mostly cause her attacks and semblance gave off petal effects.

Shaking those rogue thoughts out of my head, I continued to walk towards the shopping center. After about seven or eight minutes of aimlessly walking around the shopping center, I stumbled across a dust shop, a weapons parts shop, and a combat clothing shop. I knew how much Miltiades loved her fashion so I walked in the store and was assaulted by various colors of clothing and footwear. I walked over to the combat skirts section and saw everything from a blue version of Sakura's dress to the exact copy of Miltiades' to a rainbow skirt with frilly ends. I shuttered after looking at the last one and remembered how Miltiades' Combat skirt was shredded by going through that glass pillar, ruining one of her only outfits that were fit for combat.

I looked at buying it and saw that it was on clearance for only about 180 lien before taxes. Considering he had roughly 500 lien to buy his gift, he continued to look around for more gifts. I found a black version of Miltiades' outfit for another 180 lien. After buying the two for roughly 370 lien, I went into the weapon shop and asked about getting a new version of Miltiades' claws, but having a mechanism to have them rotate 180˚ in order to be used in a defensive stance. Due to the fact that the weapon didn't have a gun in it, it qualified for the gun-less safety sale going on there. That dropped the price from roughly 290 lien, to about 130 lien, which is literally all I had on me at the moment minus Miltiades' combat skirts.

The weapons would be ready later today, so I had to go pick them up that night. I walked back to the _Spirit of the Hunt_ and opened the door to see my grandfather behind the counter, "Welcome to the, oh hello Chrome, what are you doing home.

I sighed, "Grandpa. You know I hate that nickname. It's Echrome, not Chrome. I am also dropping off Miltiades' birthday presents. Then I need to go, Terrance is waiting for me." My grandfather simply stashed the presents and exchanged a hug with me before dealing with a costumer that entered the store as I left it.

**Normal POV**

Terrance waited by the edge of the Zen garden that gave a view of the whole town that rested below it. He heard footsteps and asked behind his shoulder, "Echrome?"

Echrome sat down next to him, "Yeah, What did you need to talk to me about, is Miltiades getting fired as a result of her injuries?" Echrome asked, slightly terrified.

Terrance recoiled, "What? No. No, her position is secure for now." Echrome visually looked relieved.

Terrance laughed softly under his breath at Echrome, "You have it bad dude."

Echrome simply slapped Terrance's shoulder as he spoke, "Not funny, now what did you need me here for?"

Terrance visibly got tense and decided it was now or never, as knew it was the best time to ask him, "Echrome, Do you want to join the three of us, the twins and I, in the wild card circuit. We want to try to compete in it in order to win the grand prize of 50,000 lien. That's enough money to fund us all for a long time. The twins already said you, but the tournament only accepts teams of four. So, what I am trying to say is, Do you wish to join us?" Echrome sat there shocked. Even though they had known each other for over a year and a half now, this was still unbelievable. The fact that Terrance, the unofficial leader of the three, was even asking him meant that he expected that he could become a seamless addition to the team.

Echrome thought it over and saw this as a chance to be part of a team he was actually comfortable with, to help his friends accomplish their goal, and maybe…just maybe get closer to Miltiades in the process. Echrome never noticed the tear run down his check, finally shed for the first people to give him a chance at last, as he spoke, "When is the tournament?"

"Almost four months from now." Terrance supplied.

"I'm in…I'll join you in the tournament." Terrance simply said, "Thank you…I'll see you tomorrow for Miltiades' birthday?"

"Of course." Echrome assured.

Terrance walked well out of earshot of Echrome and turned to the alley that held his SUV, then promptly collapsed to his knees with his fists to the sky screaming, "YES! We've done it! HAHA! WOO!" Terrance never noticing the tears of relief streaming down his face. Now the four of them had a chance to better all of their lives. Terrance could finally move out of that apartment and give it solely to the twins. But that may not be necessary, because if it all went to plan, then the twins could finally afford the schooling they were robbed from by there parents. If they won, the twins could go to Beacon.

After the tears had subsided, he pulled out his phone while he slumped against the side of his SUV and called Melanie. It took a few seconds for her to answer the phone, "Het Terrance, what's up?"

Terrance took in a breath and spoke to her, "Melanie sat down, because this may bring you to your knees." Melanie took a seat at one of the chairs at the dining table, "What is it Terrance?" Melanie asked, slightly worried, "We went all in and won Melanie…Echrome's on board, we can go to the Wild Card Circuit."

Melanie dropped the phone and sat in shock as she began to cry softly at the revelation, they had at least the chance to improve there lives know, so succeed when everyone lese told them they would fail or refused to help the "Dropout scum" from living a decent lives. As Miltiades slept in the next room peacefully, Melanie Malachite, for the first time in her memory, wept for in sadness, but pure hope and joy.

_Metal does not start as a sturdy material fit for blades and shields. It was first a rocky piece of useless junk; it must be smashed, crushed, and beat at to expose the potential beneath. Then melt down by a flame nearing the danger level of red-hot lava. Then, if my some force of god, and a little outside encouragement, then once useless metal becomes shaped and takes form into any number of things, holding in it's molten state, potential beyond then confines of measurement and the imagination. So, if I had to describe metal in a phrase, "Potential without measure." – Heron Servé, Blacksmith working at Limitless Possibilities in the City of Vale._


End file.
